Hard
Hat Award (Game #9, vs. Balt & #10 @ Cinci)
(Note: Due to travel last week, the Hard Hat
article was not able to be published, hence the �two-fer�
this week.)
Versus the Ravens in Game #9, Stillers OLB
James Harrison and OT Max Starks are the co-winners of the weekly Hard
Hat Award, given to the Stiller player who
best embodies the iron-tough, hard-as-steel attitude of the steel workers
inside the blast furnace of a still mill.
Harrison, returning in his first game since
the broken orbital bone, had a rugged, ruthless, Hard Hat effort in the loss to
Balt. He personally
pillaged and plundered the Raven offense.
He stuffed Rice, 2nd series, no gain.
Harrison applied hit in BF, NG, to force FG try, mid 2Q. He then created the rarest of events -- a
Steeler forced turnover -- on a strip sack at 7:48 4Q. He vaulted over the blocker (Rice), and
forced a TA late 4Q. Harrison led the
team with 8 solos and did everything he could to win this game. And unlike
some players, who sit out with lil� pansie injuries like a sore shoulder or a ham, Harrison
shook off the danger of the broken orbital bone and return to action as quickly
as he could.
Starks wasn�t on the team for Ravens1, in
which Balt�s Terrell Suggs spent more time in the
backfield than every Steeler except Ben.
In Ravens2, Starks swallowed up Suggs and spit him out, totally whipping
Mister LoudMouth like a red-headed stepchild. Starks just manhandled Suggs
in pass protection.
One other receiving consideration was WR
Antonio Brown, who had a very, very stellar effort, and It bears repeating that
there is almost always -- if not always -- a strong correlation between the
number of players in consideration for the Hard
Hat, and if the team won or lost.
Simply put, Hard Hat kind of
football leads to victory; pansy football (a term used here long before Troy
Pola popularized it) leads to defeat.
Versus the Bengals in Game #10, Stillers CB
William Gay is the winner of the weekly Hard Hat Award, given to
the Stiller player who best embodies the iron-tough,
hard-as-steel attitude of the steel workers inside the blast furnace of a still
mill.
Gay had a superb game, perhaps the very best
of his spotty career. He had 4 passes defensed, including a pass early in the 4Q in which he
swatted at an arriving pass and Timmons grabbed the richochet
for a rare INT. Then, with Cinci
embarking on the inevitable late-game march that Dick enjoys allowing, Gay
actually read the QB, stepped in front of the pass, and then actually snared
the ball for a game-clinching INT.
Others receiving consideration were TE Heath
Miller, who absorbed a huge hit but still held on to a seam pass; and WR
Antonio Brown, who had several clutch grabs.
Kudos to Harrison, Starks, and Gay for
winning the Hard Hat Award. Wear the Hard Hat proudly, fellas !
Previous 2011 Hard Hat Winners:
Game #8, vs. N.E.: Heath Miller and Ike
Taylor
Game #7, @ Ariz: Antonio Brown
Game #6, vs. Jax: Troy Polamalu
Game #5, vs. Tenn: Ben Roethlisberger and Max Starks
Game #4, @ Houston: James Harrison and Troy
Polamalu
Game #3, @ Indy: James Harrison and Troy
Polamalu
Game #2, vs. Seattle: Mike Wallace and Troy Polamalu
Game #1, @ Balt: No One